Shikhar Dhawan is just one of many promising Indian youngsters who have a lot to offer. He first came in the limelight thanks to a good showing in the Indian T20 League and then, a sensational Test debut against Australia has more often that not, cemented his place as a regular opener for many years to come. The southpaw, who was initially touted as big-stage performer for long, was finally given the chance to prove his credentials when he was selected for the 2010 India-Australia ODI series.

SHIKHAR DHAWAN's profile

Shikhar Dhawan is just one of many promising Indian youngsters who have a lot to offer. He first came in the limelight thanks to a good showing in the Indian T20 League and then, a sensational Test debut against Australia has more often that not, cemented his place as a regular opener for many years to come. The southpaw, who was initially touted as big-stage performer for long, was finally given the chance to prove his credentials when he was selected for the 2010 India-Australia ODI series.

The dashing batsman's talent first came to the fore in a stellar 2004 Under-19 WC campaign in which he scored 505 runs at an astonishing average of 84.16, including three stunning centuries. He went on to have a brilliant 2004-05 debut season with Delhi and has continued to remain one of the capital's most consistent performers over the years.

Gobbled up by Delhi in the inaugural edition of the Indian T20 League, Dhawan shifted allegiance to Mumbai in the following season where the backing of a larger franchise seemed to have benefited him. In 2011, he was bought by Hyderabad and has been a regular for them since then. His flamboyance combined with his brilliant fielding skills have won him many plaudits.

Dhawan has a very aggressive approach while batting and one of his trademark shots is undoubtedly be the audacious, walking cover-drive. He scored a breath-taking 187 on Test debut against Australia in early 2013. He ensured that it was not a one-off, as he ended 2013 with an average in excess of 50 in both Tests and ODIs.

After the Australia series, Dhawan performed exceptionally well for his franchise (Hyderabad) in the sixth edition of Indian T20 league. He averaged as high as 38.87 and had a strike rate of 122.92. Seeing his form throughout the year, he will most certainly look to impress the national selectors for the national T20 side after he was dropped for the final two matches of World T20 due to poor form. Also, being the captain of his franchise who retained him for the seventh season of Indian T20 League, he would like to lead from the front which would in turn, benefit himself.